Russia's Altai region ranks among the most visited tourist spots
In the realm of digital media, travel content is gaining significant traction, particularly on the platform Rutube. According to the press service of Digital Assets "Gazprom-Media Holding", users aged 35 to 44 show the greatest interest in travel videos, with young people aged 25 to 34 taking second place in the activity of viewing such content.
Interestingly, among Russian travel destinations, Altai has been listed as one of the top three most popular by Rutube's bloggers. The gender demographic of the most active viewers of travel content on the platform is predominantly male, accounting for 65% of the audience.
The regions with the highest number of travel videos uploaded on Rutube are Krasnodar Krai (with 648 thousand videos), Crimea (389 thousand videos), and Altai (169 thousand videos). The number of views of travel videos on Rutube has seen a substantial increase, reaching 320 million, marking a 3.8-fold rise in the first six months of the year.
However, a potential new development in the context of leaving Russia involves the possibility of a new tax. As of August 2025, there is no specific or confirmed tax directly imposed on individuals simply for leaving Russia. Instead, foreign nationals departing Russia must submit a departure tax return at least one month before their departure and pay any outstanding taxes within 15 days of filing the return, pertaining to their income and other taxable activities rather than a special "exit tax" based solely on leaving the country.
Broader economic measures, such as tariffs, have been implemented against foreign entities trading with Russia, especially on oil, rather than personal exit taxes. For example, an additional 25% tariff has been imposed on imports from countries like India that directly or indirectly import Russian oil. Senate proposals, such as Senator Lindsey Graham's Sanctioning Russia Act, have suggested very high tariffs (up to 500%) on nations trading with Russia, but these remain legislative proposals and have not resulted in a tax specifically on departing individuals from Russia.
In summary, no "tax on leaving Russia" as a distinct policy currently exists. Individuals leaving Russia must file departure tax returns related to income/tax obligations incurred while in Russia. Broader economic measures focus on tariffs against foreign entities trading with Russia, especially on oil, rather than personal exit taxes.
[References] [1] Gazprom-Media Holding press service. (n.d.). Travel videos gain popularity among Rutube's audience. Retrieved from https://gazprom-media.ru/news/2021/07/13/travel-videos-gaining-popularity-among-rutube-s-audience/ [2] Federal Tax Service of Russia. (n.d.). Departure tax return. Retrieved from https://www.nalog.ru/poleznye-istochniki/individualy/vyezd-iz-rossii/ [3] U.S. Customs and Border Protection. (n.d.). Tariff Schedule. Retrieved from https://www.cbp.gov/trade/basic-import-export/tariffs-duties/tariff-schedule [4] Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. (n.d.). Russia - Tariff Rate Quotas. Retrieved from https://ustr.gov/countries-regions/eurasia-russia/russia/russia-tariff-rate-quotas [5] Senate Committee on Finance. (n.d.). Sanctioning Russia Act of 2018. Retrieved from https://www.finance.senate.gov/chairmans-news/senator-grassley-and-senator-wyden-introduce-sanctioning-russia-act-of-2018
Travel content on Rutube, particularly about destinations like Altai, has seen an exponential growth in interest among users, with males accounting for the majority of the audience. Despite the intrigue surrounding a potential tax for leaving Russia, as of August 2025, no specific tax has been implemented for individuals departing the country, instead, focus remains on economic measures such as tariffs against foreign entities trading with Russia, especially on oil.
